The Sillan
by lis-bis
Summary: The andevture is over, and Will is gone. Lyra has only memories and Pan with her now. But when Lyra is confronted in the garden by a gallivespian, could another plight of terror befall her? And now she must meet a certain Lady Eleanore...
1. On her way

Lyra sat in her room. Pretending to change and be very sensitive to someone seeing her naked. She stuffed the Alethiometer into a secret compartment in her rucksack that was impossible to see until opened. She also put in there a razor, some different types of powdered mixtures she found in someone's room, and stole them because one of them was labeled "Days Sleep".  
  
"How long does it take one to change?" Quoralian seemed annoyed, what else is new? After being with this gallivespian for only half an hour, Lyra learned that anger and annoyance came easily to her.  
  
"I will be done changing when I'm done." She spat stubbornly. The great Lyra Silvertongue would not be commanded by someone like this gallivespian. She heard a mumble from outside the door.  
  
"You wouldn't be telling me what to do if-." She couldn't hear the rest. It was at that point she decided to stop bugging the gallivespian and emerged from her room, rucksack on shoulder, new clothes on.  
  
"I see you've packed." Quoralian added suspiciously, and with that motioned her to put the bag down to be inspected. She then jumped into the bag.  
  
"Hmmm. I see. Clothes, what else?" She seemed to be swimming in the clothes and other needs.  
  
"Well, once your done invading my privacy, can we get going? If we are ever going to leave."  
  
"Mind your manners young one."  
  
"Who's young here? What are you six?"  
  
Quoralian faced her full on in the face, she wasn't red, or angry. But Lyra could tell she was going to endure a beating of words. Short and clear to the point, like Quoralian seemed to like to pass out.  
  
"What is more measurable in the soul, your age in years, or your age in wisdom? If you believe that you are older than me because I am only 6, than you are truly the child here." She then turned around and got back to inspecting.  
  
Lyra sat down, beaten. And pondered her lecture. Well, that did make sense, but she has endured quite a bit and learned quite a lot. Going through so much, leaving so much.  
  
They then set out, after saying their goodbyes of course. Lyra could see her old friends talking to each other, and even whispering,  
  
"On to another mission, amazing." Many yelled to her,  
  
"Good luck child! Do what you must!"  
  
"Your in our thoughts!"  
  
She looked ahead, the road dark, but still bliss overwhelmed her, on the road again, on a mission. It felt so natural, she was ashamed to admit to herself. "Thank goodness." Quoralian heard Lyra whisper to herself.  
  
Quoralian looked at Lyra, laying on the ground sleeping, not a blanket on her. She seemed to be able to sleep anywhere without a problem. Quoralian began to explore the woods and rocks around her. It was a beautiful place, the woods had a village near them, and there was a stream that seemed to spread rainbows everywhere. There was a bit of snow in the stream, and the forest was bright green.  
  
Quoralian remembered the excitement on Lyra's face when she entered through the portal to the next world. And she was fascinated on how it got there. But the most noticeable reaction when she came through the portal was absolute bliss at first, but when she looked around, a tear streaked her face. Though she quickly wiped it away and pretended that she hadn't just cried a little, Quoralian saw her sorrow.  
  
Quoralian was now sitting on a rock now, mist splashing her face, rainbows making her a thousand different colors, and the sun sparkling in her eyes. The forest seemed so green and fruitful that it reminded her of one giant emerald. And there were so many rainbows, she began to think she had cut into a world called heaven. She looked over toward where Lyra was sleeping again. Lyra had refused to go sleep in the cave where Quoralian set up camp, and Quoralian couldn't understand why. It was big, seemed to have had other people sleep in it before, (For there were some supplies left behind.) and it was a great hiding place from the village people, especially a little girl that liked coming up here, Quoralian thought her name was Ata.  
  
Lyra began to stir, Quoralian jumped off the little rock and walked to her side. She got up and rubbed her eyes, then looked around, and the sorrowful look on her face reappeared.  
  
"If you don't mind my asking, can we go to a different world?" Lyra stared at Quoralian as she said this, Quoralian felt like her gaze was penetrating straight through her, seeing her every thought. Quoralian stared back boldly.  
  
"We were just passing through here. Gather your things and we shall leave."  
  
"Alright, you start gathering your things also." Quoralian turned a little red at Lyra's comment, but turned around and obeyed.  
  
Lyra walked over to where she had been sleeping, and began packing up her bag.  
  
"Oh Pan, why did we have to come here? Of all places! There are thousands of worlds aren't there? It just had to be one of the worlds where he." Lyra's sentence trailed away. Pantalaimon knew exactly who she was thinking of, and nuzzled her, comforting her all he could.  
  
"Maybe, you'll see him again! If Quoralian can cut a portal into this world from his, and then to ours, he probably can cut one into Will's world." Lyra jumped up in excitement from the idea, and her somber expression vanished at once. She ran blindly through the woods until she found Quoralian.  
  
"Quoralian, oh Quoralian! Can I ask a favor of you? It would mean so much to me! Could you cut a portal into Will's world?" Lyra said this quickly with a grin so big it was almost frightening.  
  
Quoralian sat on the ground and gave out a deep sigh. "I am afraid not, Lyra. You made a sacrifice and a choice. If you open up a portal to Will's world and embrace him, so much as hear him, see him, you sacrifice everyone's chance for salvation. You change your choice and condemn us all." Lyra broke into sobs and stood on her knees at this.  
  
"Why me? Why him? Why us? Why did I have to be Eve? Why can't I just be dead and never of met him!! Then none of this would of happened!! I wish I were dead! Then at least my atoms could stay with him everywhere he went!! We'd be together at least!!" Tears littered her face and the ground around her. Such utter hatred she felt for herself right now for loving him, such sadness and longing for him she felt.  
  
Quoralian was horrified at the words Lyra spoke. She couldn't die, she had many more tasks to complete, many.  
  
Quoralian tried to get Lyra's attention but it was impossible. Finally Quoralian resulted to using one of her poisonous spurs and pressing it a little on a pressure point. Lyra gasped and looked at Quoralian, she had her attention.  
  
"Child! If I ever hear you say anything like that again you will really wish you dead! The fate of many worlds depends on you! Not me, not anyone else, you. A force is rising again to unspeakable power! And they have something that is unbeatable. The sillan."  
  
Lyra had stopped her sobbing by now, and was greatly curious.  
  
"The sillan? What's that?"  
  
Quoralian looked at her, as if trying to see if she was ready to handle it.  
  
"The sillan is a warped time chamber. You go in there and someone sets the time flow difference. Like a thousand years in there could be merely a year out here, but that's the limit. People don't age in there though. They are using it as a torture chamber, and for some people to become stronger for battle. The people that are on the opposite side of the holders of the sillan that are captured are put in there for eternal labor and torture, never dying, but never really living." Quoralian said this all very slowly, as if trying to reword it to not make it sound as bad as it is, she didn't succeed.  
  
Lyra didn't make a sound, a minute later she asked the one question that came to mind after he told her this.  
  
"Do we have one on our side?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then isn't it likely they will win?"  
  
"Its half and half. Lyra, all the alethiometers in every world have been destroyed, except one. The other side used to have one, Fra Pavels, but they disposed of that one for the energy burst to contribute to the sillans power, I know you've stashed it, and you were smart not to tell me, but from now on we must trust each other. Otherwise neither of us will have a chance."  
  
"How was I supposed to know you weren't going to kill me when I was asleep?"  
  
"You weren't, but now you do."  
  
But then Lyra remembered something important and desperate, "Quoralian! I don't know how to read the alethiometer anymore! It will take me a lifetime to learn how to read and study it again!"  
  
"That's already been considered. And there is only on thing we can do, Lady Eleanore is planning on bringing the Authority back to maximum power again through the sillans eternal ability to change the flow of time. You are going into the sillan for studying for a lifetime. You will be hidden and I believe conceived as a relative of Lady Eleanore, since you both look remarkably alike."  
  
This hit Lyra like a thousand bricks at once. Her, Lyra Silvertongue, going into the sillan? She didn't like the thought of that, especially from what she had heard so far.  
  
Wait a minute, didn't Quoralian say she needed to speak to Lady Eleanore a while back?  
  
"Didn't you say I needed to speak to Lady Eleanore?" She added gloomily.  
  
"That I did young one, but only a little bit ago when I was communicating with the Council, they informed me that she was an undercover spy, even though she is running the organization she was pretending to try to destroy. She was merely getting information. So in a matter of hours, they set up a spot for you in the sillan and conceived as a relative of Lady Eleanore. You understand, don't you?"  
  
Lyra understood, but she wished she didn't. This was becoming to much, then Lyra let out something that had been building up since the day she saw Bolvanger.  
  
"I don't want to." She said flatly  
  
"What?"  
  
"But I have to don't I? Everything is chosen for me, where I go, what I do, everything. I want to be free. I want to choose everything, what I do, where I go in life, I want to choose my life, I want to have choices. But everything is made and planned for me, even whom I love and that I suffer and leave him. And I hate it. I hate it. I want to live in this life. No one telling you what to do, its like I am cursed, I'll never have a true life, never. Don't you understand? When I am old, I will never be able to love, I will never be allowed to choose anything for myself, like where I live or in what house. And all this to make sure I am safe. Well, I am sick of being safe, and if I am going into the sillan, it'll be so that every guard, soldier, marksman, whatever, knows who I really am. I am sick of lying, and you know what? Like it or not, I am not going. No more."  
  
And with that she began to walk away, but Quoralian grabbed on to her and began pushing on a pressure point with one of her spurs.  
  
"You are going to do your duty! You have no choice, you are Eve, I will drag you there if I must!" She shouted angrily and desperately.  
  
Lyra snatched her up so fast by the neck not even Quoralian could tell it happened until a moment later. Lyra ripped off her spurs and poisonous wrist guards, holding her in the air by the neck, supporting Quoralian's feet with her other hand so Quoralian wouldn't die.  
  
"You know what? I didn't sign up for this. And I'm not Eve, I'm Lyra. And I'll kill you if I have to, cause I bet you'd do the same thing. And I am going to live in this life, I only get one. Your gonna let me go, or I'll send you to the next world, as much as I don't want to."  
  
She was shocked with her own words, but satisfied. And sweet, destined, special, little Lyra was taking charge.  
  
She knew she had to follow directions at some points, and this was one, but she didn't care how selfish she was being, she didn't care how unreasonable she was being, all she knew was that no one should go through what she has, and that she was going to take charge this time. She set Quoralian on a rock.  
  
"Goodbye Quoralian." 


	2. On Her Way

Lyra sat in her room. Pretending to change and be very sensitive to someone seeing her naked. She stuffed the Alethiometer into a secret compartment in her rucksack that was impossible to see until opened. She also put in there a razor, some different types of powdered mixtures she found in someone's room, and stole them because one of them was labeled "Days Sleep".  
  
"How long does it take one to change?" Quoralian seemed annoyed, what else is new? After being with this gallivespian for only half an hour, Lyra learned that anger and annoyance came easily to her.  
  
"I will be done changing when I'm done." She spat stubbornly. The great Lyra Silvertongue would not be commanded by someone like this gallivespian. She heard a mumble from outside the door.  
  
"You wouldn't be telling me what to do if-." She couldn't hear the rest. It was at that point she decided to stop bugging the gallivespian and emerged from her room, rucksack on shoulder, new clothes on.  
  
"I see you've packed." Quoralian added suspiciously, and with that motioned her to put the bag down to be inspected. She then jumped into the bag.  
  
"Hmmm. I see. Clothes, what else?" She seemed to be swimming in the clothes and other needs.  
  
"Well, once your done invading my privacy, can we get going? If we are ever going to leave."  
  
"Mind your manners young one."  
  
"Who's young here? What are you six?"  
  
Quoralian faced her full on in the face, she wasn't red, or angry. But Lyra could tell she was going to endure a beating of words. Short and clear to the point, like Quoralian seemed to like to pass out.  
  
"What is more measurable in the soul, your age in years, or your age in wisdom? If you believe that you are older than me because I am only 6, than you are truly the child here." She then turned around and got back to inspecting.  
  
Lyra sat down, beaten. And pondered her lecture. Well, that did make sense, but she has endured quite a bit and learned quite a lot. Going through so much, leaving so much.  
  
They then set out, after saying their goodbyes of course. Lyra could see her old friends talking to each other, and even whispering,  
  
"On to another mission, amazing." Many yelled to her,  
  
"Good luck child! Do what you must!"  
  
"Your in our thoughts!"  
  
She looked ahead, the road dark, but still bliss overwhelmed her, on the road again, on a mission. It felt so natural, she was ashamed to admit to herself. "Thank goodness." Quoralian heard Lyra whisper to herself.  
  
Quoralian looked at Lyra, laying on the ground sleeping, not a blanket on her. She seemed to be able to sleep anywhere without a problem. Quoralian began to explore the woods and rocks around her. It was a beautiful place, the woods had a village near them, and there was a stream that seemed to spread rainbows everywhere. There was a bit of snow in the stream, and the forest was bright green.  
  
Quoralian remembered the excitement on Lyra's face when she entered through the portal to the next world. And she was fascinated on how it got there. But the most noticeable reaction when she came through the portal was absolute bliss at first, but when she looked around, a tear streaked her face. Though she quickly wiped it away and pretended that she hadn't just cried a little, Quoralian saw her sorrow.  
  
Quoralian was now sitting on a rock now, mist splashing her face, rainbows making her a thousand different colors, and the sun sparkling in her eyes. The forest seemed so green and fruitful that it reminded her of one giant emerald. And there were so many rainbows, she began to think she had cut into a world called heaven. She looked over toward where Lyra was sleeping again. Lyra had refused to go sleep in the cave where Quoralian set up camp, and Quoralian couldn't understand why. It was big, seemed to have had other people sleep in it before, (For there were some supplies left behind.) and it was a great hiding place from the village people, especially a little girl that liked coming up here, Quoralian thought her name was Ata.  
  
Lyra began to stir, Quoralian jumped off the little rock and walked to her side. She got up and rubbed her eyes, then looked around, and the sorrowful look on her face reappeared.  
  
"If you don't mind my asking, can we go to a different world?" Lyra stared at Quoralian as she said this, Quoralian felt like her gaze was penetrating straight through her, seeing her every thought. Quoralian stared back boldly.  
  
"We were just passing through here. Gather your things and we shall leave."  
  
"Alright, you start gathering your things also." Quoralian turned a little red at Lyra's comment, but turned around and obeyed.  
  
Lyra walked over to where she had been sleeping, and began packing up her bag.  
  
"Oh Pan, why did we have to come here? Of all places! There are thousands of worlds aren't there? It just had to be one of the worlds where he." Lyra's sentence trailed away. Pantalaimon knew exactly who she was thinking of, and nuzzled her, comforting her all he could.  
  
"Maybe, you'll see him again! If Quoralian can cut a portal into this world from his, and then to ours, he probably can cut one into Will's world." Lyra jumped up in excitement from the idea, and her somber expression vanished at once. She ran blindly through the woods until she found Quoralian.  
  
"Quoralian, oh Quoralian! Can I ask a favor of you? It would mean so much to me! Could you cut a portal into Will's world?" Lyra said this quickly with a grin so big it was almost frightening.  
  
Quoralian sat on the ground and gave out a deep sigh. "I am afraid not, Lyra. You made a sacrifice and a choice. If you open up a portal to Will's world and embrace him, so much as hear him, see him, you sacrifice everyone's chance for salvation. You change your choice and condemn us all." Lyra broke into sobs and stood on her knees at this.  
  
"Why me? Why him? Why us? Why did I have to be Eve? Why can't I just be dead and never of met him!! Then none of this would of happened!! I wish I were dead! Then at least my atoms could stay with him everywhere he went!! We'd be together at least!!" Tears littered her face and the ground around her. Such utter hatred she felt for herself right now for loving him, such sadness and longing for him she felt.  
  
Quoralian was horrified at the words Lyra spoke. She couldn't die, she had many more tasks to complete, many.  
  
Quoralian tried to get Lyra's attention but it was impossible. Finally Quoralian resulted to using one of her poisonous spurs and pressing it a little on a pressure point. Lyra gasped and looked at Quoralian, she had her attention.  
  
"Child! If I ever hear you say anything like that again you will really wish you dead! The fate of many worlds depends on you! Not me, not anyone else, you. A force is rising again to unspeakable power! And they have something that is unbeatable. The sillan."  
  
Lyra had stopped her sobbing by now, and was greatly curious.  
  
"The sillan? What's that?"  
  
Quoralian looked at her, as if trying to see if she was ready to handle it.  
  
"The sillan is a warped time chamber. You go in there and someone sets the time flow difference. Like a thousand years in there could be merely a year out here, but that's the limit. People don't age in there though. They are using it as a torture chamber, and for some people to become stronger for battle. The people that are on the opposite side of the holders of the sillan that are captured are put in there for eternal labor and torture, never dying, but never really living." Quoralian said this all very slowly, as if trying to reword it to not make it sound as bad as it is, she didn't succeed.  
  
Lyra didn't make a sound, a minute later she asked the one question that came to mind after he told her this.  
  
"Do we have one on our side?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then isn't it likely they will win?"  
  
"Its half and half. Lyra, all the alethiometers in every world have been destroyed, except one. The other side used to have one, Fra Pavels, but they disposed of that one for the energy burst to contribute to the sillans power, I know you've stashed it, and you were smart not to tell me, but from now on we must trust each other. Otherwise neither of us will have a chance."  
  
"How was I supposed to know you weren't going to kill me when I was asleep?"  
  
"You weren't, but now you do."  
  
But then Lyra remembered something important and desperate, "Quoralian! I don't know how to read the alethiometer anymore! It will take me a lifetime to learn how to read and study it again!"  
  
"That's already been considered. And there is only on thing we can do, Lady Eleanore is planning on bringing the Authority back to maximum power again through the sillans eternal ability to change the flow of time. You are going into the sillan for studying for a lifetime. You will be hidden and I believe conceived as a relative of Lady Eleanore, since you both look remarkably alike."  
  
This hit Lyra like a thousand bricks at once. Her, Lyra Silvertongue, going into the sillan? She didn't like the thought of that, especially from what she had heard so far.  
  
Wait a minute, didn't Quoralian say she needed to speak to Lady Eleanore a while back?  
  
"Didn't you say I needed to speak to Lady Eleanore?" She added gloomily.  
  
"That I did young one, but only a little bit ago when I was communicating with the Council, they informed me that she was an undercover spy, even though she is running the organization she was pretending to try to destroy. She was merely getting information. So in a matter of hours, they set up a spot for you in the sillan and conceived as a relative of Lady Eleanore. You understand, don't you?"  
  
Lyra understood, but she wished she didn't. This was becoming to much, then Lyra let out something that had been building up since the day she saw Bolvanger.  
  
"I don't want to." She said flatly  
  
"What?"  
  
"But I have to don't I? Everything is chosen for me, where I go, what I do, everything. I want to be free. I want to choose everything, what I do, where I go in life, I want to choose my life, I want to have choices. But everything is made and planned for me, even whom I love and that I suffer and leave him. And I hate it. I hate it. I want to live in this life. No one telling you what to do, its like I am cursed, I'll never have a true life, never. Don't you understand? When I am old, I will never be able to love, I will never be allowed to choose anything for myself, like where I live or in what house. And all this to make sure I am safe. Well, I am sick of being safe, and if I am going into the sillan, it'll be so that every guard, soldier, marksman, whatever, knows who I really am. I am sick of lying, and you know what? Like it or not, I am not going. No more."  
  
And with that she began to walk away, but Quoralian grabbed on to her and began pushing on a pressure point with one of her spurs.  
  
"You are going to do your duty! You have no choice, you are Eve, I will drag you there if I must!" She shouted angrily and desperately.  
  
Lyra snatched her up so fast by the neck not even Quoralian could tell it happened until a moment later. Lyra ripped off her spurs and poisonous wrist guards, holding her in the air by the neck, supporting Quoralian's feet with her other hand so Quoralian wouldn't die.  
  
"You know what? I didn't sign up for this. And I'm not Eve, I'm Lyra. And I'll kill you if I have to, cause I bet you'd do the same thing. And I am going to live in this life, I only get one. Your gonna let me go, or I'll send you to the next world, as much as I don't want to."  
  
She was shocked with her own words, but satisfied. And sweet, destined, special, little Lyra was taking charge.  
  
She knew she had to follow directions at some points, and this was one, but she didn't care how selfish she was being, she didn't care how unreasonable she was being, all she knew was that no one should go through what she has, and that she was going to take charge this time. She set Quoralian on a rock.  
  
"Goodbye Quoralian." 


	3. On Her Way

Lyra sat in her room. Pretending to change and be very sensitive to someone seeing her naked. She stuffed the Alethiometer into a secret compartment in her rucksack that was impossible to see until opened. She also put in there a razor, some different types of powdered mixtures she found in someone's room, and stole them because one of them was labeled "Days Sleep".  
  
"How long does it take one to change?" Quoralian seemed annoyed, what else is new? After being with this gallivespian for only half an hour, Lyra learned that anger and annoyance came easily to her.  
  
"I will be done changing when I'm done." She spat stubbornly. The great Lyra Silvertongue would not be commanded by someone like this gallivespian. She heard a mumble from outside the door.  
  
"You wouldn't be telling me what to do if-." She couldn't hear the rest. It was at that point she decided to stop bugging the gallivespian and emerged from her room, rucksack on shoulder, new clothes on.  
  
"I see you've packed." Quoralian added suspiciously, and with that motioned her to put the bag down to be inspected. She then jumped into the bag.  
  
"Hmmm. I see. Clothes, what else?" She seemed to be swimming in the clothes and other needs.  
  
"Well, once your done invading my privacy, can we get going? If we are ever going to leave."  
  
"Mind your manners young one."  
  
"Who's young here? What are you six?"  
  
Quoralian faced her full on in the face, she wasn't red, or angry. But Lyra could tell she was going to endure a beating of words. Short and clear to the point, like Quoralian seemed to like to pass out.  
  
"What is more measurable in the soul, your age in years, or your age in wisdom? If you believe that you are older than me because I am only 6, than you are truly the child here." She then turned around and got back to inspecting.  
  
Lyra sat down, beaten. And pondered her lecture. Well, that did make sense, but she has endured quite a bit and learned quite a lot. Going through so much, leaving so much.  
  
They then set out, after saying their goodbyes of course. Lyra could see her old friends talking to each other, and even whispering,  
  
"On to another mission, amazing." Many yelled to her,  
  
"Good luck child! Do what you must!"  
  
"Your in our thoughts!"  
  
She looked ahead, the road dark, but still bliss overwhelmed her, on the road again, on a mission. It felt so natural, she was ashamed to admit to herself. "Thank goodness." Quoralian heard Lyra whisper to herself.  
  
Quoralian looked at Lyra, laying on the ground sleeping, not a blanket on her. She seemed to be able to sleep anywhere without a problem. Quoralian began to explore the woods and rocks around her. It was a beautiful place, the woods had a village near them, and there was a stream that seemed to spread rainbows everywhere. There was a bit of snow in the stream, and the forest was bright green.  
  
Quoralian remembered the excitement on Lyra's face when she entered through the portal to the next world. And she was fascinated on how it got there. But the most noticeable reaction when she came through the portal was absolute bliss at first, but when she looked around, a tear streaked her face. Though she quickly wiped it away and pretended that she hadn't just cried a little, Quoralian saw her sorrow.  
  
Quoralian was now sitting on a rock now, mist splashing her face, rainbows making her a thousand different colors, and the sun sparkling in her eyes. The forest seemed so green and fruitful that it reminded her of one giant emerald. And there were so many rainbows, she began to think she had cut into a world called heaven. She looked over toward where Lyra was sleeping again. Lyra had refused to go sleep in the cave where Quoralian set up camp, and Quoralian couldn't understand why. It was big, seemed to have had other people sleep in it before, (For there were some supplies left behind.) and it was a great hiding place from the village people, especially a little girl that liked coming up here, Quoralian thought her name was Ata.  
  
Lyra began to stir, Quoralian jumped off the little rock and walked to her side. She got up and rubbed her eyes, then looked around, and the sorrowful look on her face reappeared.  
  
"If you don't mind my asking, can we go to a different world?" Lyra stared at Quoralian as she said this, Quoralian felt like her gaze was penetrating straight through her, seeing her every thought. Quoralian stared back boldly.  
  
"We were just passing through here. Gather your things and we shall leave."  
  
"Alright, you start gathering your things also." Quoralian turned a little red at Lyra's comment, but turned around and obeyed.  
  
Lyra walked over to where she had been sleeping, and began packing up her bag.  
  
"Oh Pan, why did we have to come here? Of all places! There are thousands of worlds aren't there? It just had to be one of the worlds where he." Lyra's sentence trailed away. Pantalaimon knew exactly who she was thinking of, and nuzzled her, comforting her all he could.  
  
"Maybe, you'll see him again! If Quoralian can cut a portal into this world from his, and then to ours, he probably can cut one into Will's world." Lyra jumped up in excitement from the idea, and her somber expression vanished at once. She ran blindly through the woods until she found Quoralian.  
  
"Quoralian, oh Quoralian! Can I ask a favor of you? It would mean so much to me! Could you cut a portal into Will's world?" Lyra said this quickly with a grin so big it was almost frightening.  
  
Quoralian sat on the ground and gave out a deep sigh. "I am afraid not, Lyra. You made a sacrifice and a choice. If you open up a portal to Will's world and embrace him, so much as hear him, see him, you sacrifice everyone's chance for salvation. You change your choice and condemn us all." Lyra broke into sobs and stood on her knees at this.  
  
"Why me? Why him? Why us? Why did I have to be Eve? Why can't I just be dead and never of met him!! Then none of this would of happened!! I wish I were dead! Then at least my atoms could stay with him everywhere he went!! We'd be together at least!!" Tears littered her face and the ground around her. Such utter hatred she felt for herself right now for loving him, such sadness and longing for him she felt.  
  
Quoralian was horrified at the words Lyra spoke. She couldn't die, she had many more tasks to complete, many.  
  
Quoralian tried to get Lyra's attention but it was impossible. Finally Quoralian resulted to using one of her poisonous spurs and pressing it a little on a pressure point. Lyra gasped and looked at Quoralian, she had her attention.  
  
"Child! If I ever hear you say anything like that again you will really wish you dead! The fate of many worlds depends on you! Not me, not anyone else, you. A force is rising again to unspeakable power! And they have something that is unbeatable. The sillan."  
  
Lyra had stopped her sobbing by now, and was greatly curious.  
  
"The sillan? What's that?"  
  
Quoralian looked at her, as if trying to see if she was ready to handle it.  
  
"The sillan is a warped time chamber. You go in there and someone sets the time flow difference. Like a thousand years in there could be merely a year out here, but that's the limit. People don't age in there though. They are using it as a torture chamber, and for some people to become stronger for battle. The people that are on the opposite side of the holders of the sillan that are captured are put in there for eternal labor and torture, never dying, but never really living." Quoralian said this all very slowly, as if trying to reword it to not make it sound as bad as it is, she didn't succeed.  
  
Lyra didn't make a sound, a minute later she asked the one question that came to mind after he told her this.  
  
"Do we have one on our side?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then isn't it likely they will win?"  
  
"Its half and half. Lyra, all the alethiometers in every world have been destroyed, except one. The other side used to have one, Fra Pavels, but they disposed of that one for the energy burst to contribute to the sillans power, I know you've stashed it, and you were smart not to tell me, but from now on we must trust each other. Otherwise neither of us will have a chance."  
  
"How was I supposed to know you weren't going to kill me when I was asleep?"  
  
"You weren't, but now you do."  
  
But then Lyra remembered something important and desperate, "Quoralian! I don't know how to read the alethiometer anymore! It will take me a lifetime to learn how to read and study it again!"  
  
"That's already been considered. And there is only on thing we can do, Lady Eleanore is planning on bringing the Authority back to maximum power again through the sillans eternal ability to change the flow of time. You are going into the sillan for studying for a lifetime. You will be hidden and I believe conceived as a relative of Lady Eleanore, since you both look remarkably alike."  
  
This hit Lyra like a thousand bricks at once. Her, Lyra Silvertongue, going into the sillan? She didn't like the thought of that, especially from what she had heard so far.  
  
Wait a minute, didn't Quoralian say she needed to speak to Lady Eleanore a while back?  
  
"Didn't you say I needed to speak to Lady Eleanore?" She added gloomily.  
  
"That I did young one, but only a little bit ago when I was communicating with the Council, they informed me that she was an undercover spy, even though she is running the organization she was pretending to try to destroy. She was merely getting information. So in a matter of hours, they set up a spot for you in the sillan and conceived as a relative of Lady Eleanore. You understand, don't you?"  
  
Lyra understood, but she wished she didn't. This was becoming to much, then Lyra let out something that had been building up since the day she saw Bolvanger.  
  
"I don't want to." She said flatly  
  
"What?"  
  
"But I have to don't I? Everything is chosen for me, where I go, what I do, everything. I want to be free. I want to choose everything, what I do, where I go in life, I want to choose my life, I want to have choices. But everything is made and planned for me, even whom I love and that I suffer and leave him. And I hate it. I hate it. I want to live in this life. No one telling you what to do, its like I am cursed, I'll never have a true life, never. Don't you understand? When I am old, I will never be able to love, I will never be allowed to choose anything for myself, like where I live or in what house. And all this to make sure I am safe. Well, I am sick of being safe, and if I am going into the sillan, it'll be so that every guard, soldier, marksman, whatever, knows who I really am. I am sick of lying, and you know what? Like it or not, I am not going. No more."  
  
And with that she began to walk away, but Quoralian grabbed on to her and began pushing on a pressure point with one of her spurs.  
  
"You are going to do your duty! You have no choice, you are Eve, I will drag you there if I must!" She shouted angrily and desperately.  
  
Lyra snatched her up so fast by the neck not even Quoralian could tell it happened until a moment later. Lyra ripped off her spurs and poisonous wrist guards, holding her in the air by the neck, supporting Quoralian's feet with her other hand so Quoralian wouldn't die.  
  
"You know what? I didn't sign up for this. And I'm not Eve, I'm Lyra. And I'll kill you if I have to, cause I bet you'd do the same thing. And I am going to live in this life, I only get one. Your gonna let me go, or I'll send you to the next world, as much as I don't want to."  
  
She was shocked with her own words, but satisfied. And sweet, destined, special, little Lyra was taking charge.  
  
She knew she had to follow directions at some points, and this was one, but she didn't care how selfish she was being, she didn't care how unreasonable she was being, all she knew was that no one should go through what she has, and that she was going to take charge this time. She set Quoralian on a rock.  
  
"Goodbye Quoralian." 


	4. Insanity And Back Again

Lyra sprinted along the pathway away from the village, she was about a good 100 yards away from the village. She knew Quoralian couldn't catch up with her unless she had a dragonfly, and she didn't. While running as fast as she could when Lyra got far enough away she began to scream and yell. It made her feel alive and herself, but a bit crazy. She then screamed without thinking, "I AM ME! I CHOOSE MY LIFE!" But at that point she tripped on a rock nearby, hurling herself to the ground, and she began to half scream and half cry. Curled up into a ball, she wept and cursed herself, hated herself. After a good 15 minutes, she spread out on the warm dirt and felt it beneath her alive body. Staring at the sky, she counted the birds that flew by and relaxed. Lyra got up and saw a girl standing near her. Only there was something strange about this girl, she looked the exact same as Lyra. Lyra got a bad feeling, and Pantalaimon jumped up and hissed. The girls' daemon did the same, and her daemon looked just like Pantalaimon. "Who are you?" Lyra asked boldly, and looked at the girl straight in the eye as she said this. "The question really to be asked is, who are you?" The girl looked back boldly. "Why is that your concern?" "You asked the same question." "Then answer mine first." "You should." "Fine. I am Lyra Silvertongue." "Are you sure?" "What do you mean?" "Just by what I said, are you sure you are Lyra?" "Well, of course! Who else would be Lyra?" "I am not quite sure Lyra exists anymore." Lyra didn't understand when the girl said this, and asked with great suspicion. "I am Lyra! I am right in front of you! See me?" She waved her hand in front of the girls face, she didn't move. "I see you, but you are not Lyra. You are not Eve, she is dead, resurrect her." But before Lyra could ask what the girl meant, she vanished into vapors of mist and blew away. Lyra squeezed Pantalaimon, but something felt different. She looked at Pantalaimon and he began to break away into mist as the girl and her daemon had. "Pantalaimon!" She screamed in horror. Pantalaimon blew away with the wind, and Lyra ran after the wind. But she stopped after 10 feet and sat on the ground, alone.  
  
The wind barely disturbed Quoralians' long brown hair. She stood on the rock and looked after where Lyra had left. Quoralian pulled out her communicator. "Lady Eleanore, bring in the zeppelins." 


	5. Alone

Lyra sat on the ground, all alone, no one to comfort her, no one to talk to. She was confused about what had happened, and why she wasn't dead, but was to sick with grief to try and figure it out. Her dear, dear Pantalaimon was gone. She would never feel his warm fur against her smooth skin, never hear him whisper in her ear advice, and she would always be alone. Alone. The word felt like death itself. No, not death, death was welcoming right now. The word felt like living forever, immortality, a true punishment. Lyra knew she couldn't sit on the ground forever, so, heavy with sorrow, she got up, and began on her way. She had food in her rucksack, so she would go as far as she could without starving, searching for a village where she may get some information on what's happening. She heard a neigh and a cry out by the edge of the forest. She then saw two cloaked figures fly out of the area. Lyra wasn't sure if it was smart to go over there, but went anyway. When she got to the forest, she saw a man on the ground, and arrow through his chest, blood fresh. As Lyra got closer, she could see he was still alive, but had gone crazy in the last few minutes of his life. "F-flying sha-sha-d-do-ows-ws." He managed to say to Lyra. She lifted his head and placed it on her lap, stroking his hair and calming him down. He looked at her with eyes that were so scared, and he closed then forever. Lyra set down the dead mans head, and took a good look at his horse, she had been learning how to gallop on horses at Jordan College. It had been hard to learn, but easier than normal girls because she had ridden Iorek. She looked at the man again, on his shirt it read, "Stelcon Brail, Horseback riding trainer" So that was why the horse wasn't scared of Lyra. She got near the horse and started petting him. He didn't seem to mind, so then she tried to mount, worked out perfectly. So she began riding on the road. After a while, she saw the two cloaked figures pursuing her. Knowing she couldn't out run them, Lyra regretted pulling her horse to a stop. She turned him around and faced the dark figures. They landed in front of her and she could see they were witches. "What is your name?" One asked with a silky voice. "Anicka Barline." "You live here, yet where is your daemon? Are you a sister, or has your daemon been cut away? Or are you from a different world?" "I am from Britain. What is a daemon?" Lyra could tell these people were witches. The two of them glanced at each other. Then one looked at Lyra straight in the face, she felt as if she was staring straight through her. "You are Lyra Silvertongue, named by the bear king, Iorek Byrnison. Wise of you to not give us your true identity, we are working against the Authority. I am sorry about your daemon." Lyra was shocked by this witches ability to look into her memory. She didn't have time to ask her about this though, because one of the witches gave out a cry. "Kremanhalay! Seven zeppelins, headed this way!" She pointed at 7 miniscule dots in the sky far off on the horizon. "I hear them also. Child, get on my cloudpine branch." Lyra obeyed immediately, and they sped off. Up into the clouds faster then arrows shot off a bow. The witch Lyra was riding with, Kremanhalay, was shouting commands to the other witch in a foreign language that reminded Lyra of the whispers of the wind. "Khhana-ikhha! Buay maynayquamta! Dare quabal quemquemseehhhhaaa!" Lyra couldn't describe it if she tried. The witch breathed in and out with each word, as if the language was her breath. And whenever she told the witch these words, she darted a way or that, or made a bird sound, or sometimes, took her arms off her cloudpine branch and let them scrape the clouds. The humming of the zeppelins was getting louder and louder, and Kremanhalay directed all of us through the clouds. Lyra looked back, she could make out the windows on the bottom of the gigantic balloon, and she knew they could see them. Lyra screamed to Kremanhalay, and she dived straight down. "RELAX CHILD! IF YOU FALL, I SHALL CATCH YOU, DON'T FEAR!" She bellowed over the wind. Lyra didn't need anyone to tell her to hang on, she was holding onto Kremanhalay as they plummeted straight to the earth, and turned up into the trees just in time, the other witch followed without a problem. They dodged through the trees at what seemed a hundred miles per hour. The humming of the zeppelins was now a great roar, and Lyra made out the unmistakable sound of bullets being fired. Five zeppelins dove toward the ground, and two stayed in the sky, the wind was piercing Lyra's face, the witches pulled up at full speed into the sky. Lyra looked behind her and could see the whites of the zeppelin drivers' eyes. A fury of bullets went flying in a fury around the witches and Lyra. Lyra felt a bullet graze her skin and rip the side of her shirt and she screamed as the blood flowed. The zeppelins zoomed with great wrath, diving and speeding. Kremanhalay dove to the ground again, and through the woods, Lyra could see a cave ahead, but it had. Palm trees?! Kremanhalay went even faster with the other witch following. They sped right into the cave, and they crashed! Or, should have, Lyra was confused when she found herself on a moonlit beach, and then understood. It was a portal, of course! The witches and Lyra landed, then the other witch got off her broomstick quickly and whispered a few words, then went into the same type of trance that Lyra remembered Will going into when he closed and opened a portal. She then used her fingers to close the portal. Walking over to Lyra, she explained. "Lyra Silvertongue, I am Naramalnia, and this is Kremanhalay, we come from the Cremalaynre witch clan. We are in dire need of your skills with the alethiometer. We are working against the Lady Eleanore. Child, I pray you haven't come across the gallivespian Quoralian?" "Naramalnia, I did come to stay with Quoralian for a bit, but I then threatened to kill Quoralian if she wouldn't let me go." "She held you captive?" "No. She simply told me what I was to do, but I got sick of not choosing anything, of not living a normal life. So I told her if she wouldn't let me go, I would kill her, and I would have." The witches glanced at each other and smiled a knowing smile. Not the type were it looked as if they were going to try to hurt you, or you were just playing on, but a smile that reminded Lyra of a mothers smile. Lyra felt safe. "Child, we must take you to Grail Garenathal, he is a fisherman, but one who can and will give us the information we need on the battle, we have not been updated." "A fisherman?" "Child, though he may be a fisherman, he is also working with us on the war and getting us information, you might say he is a spy." Lyra wondered why Kremanhalay hadn't told Lyra that in the first place, but held her tongue. Time was precious, and Lyra still had some questions. "Is Quoralian good or bad?" "Depends which side your on, to you, she is bad." Lyra was dumbstruck. Quoralian? "What would have happened if I had done what she said?" "You would have been taken to Lady Eleanore, tortured then questioned, and once they had gotten as much information out of you, steal your alethiometer and kill you in the most painful way possible." Lyra didn't want to ask anymore, she couldn't. After all she had went through, and then she would be killed, just like that? Lyra got up. "Where are you going?" "On a walk." So Lyra walked off into the moonlight, a thousand stars above her, the soft white sand beneath her, sadness and anger within her. 


	6. Will

Cool winds brushing her face, Lyra stared at the gigantic sky. Stars were everywhere, the moon wasn't as bright anymore. Lyra opened her rucksack and took out the pair of pants that she had packed when Quoralian demanded she left, she didn't know why she had, but simply packed them if she ran out of skirts. She slipped them on with difficulty. If she was going to die, she would at least be able to say she wore pants. Lyra was really beginning to wonder whether she was going crazy or not. But it didn't matter. Her hands in her pockets, (Which felt quite awkward.) She began again. She had to do this, and she couldn't trust anyone. For the first time in a while, Lyra felt completely alone. At least at Jordan she could sit at the bench. She would know she was connected to Will somehow, and she could always talk to someone. But now she was in such a familiar, yet different place. Tears streaked her face, as she thought about Will, but then remembered they separated for a universe. He is not gone forever. Just for a lifetime. "Just." Lyra said sarcastically. He's going to be okay, he must be okay, maybe he found another girl, then maybe he is happy again. But Lyra knew that thought was most likely not true. Lyra got Will out of her mind as best she could. But he was thinking about her also. His want for her was growing everyday, and disappointed everyday. He thought of her each hour, each minute, every moment. "Lyra." He said in a distant tone, holding onto the thought of her, her bravery, her kindness, and how bold she was. Will got up from the chair he was sitting in and began walking and following his senses. Lyra began to follow a strong feeling she couldn't shake off, and she understood. Walking and following her senses, finding the one thing that would make her complete again. Will searched, walking outside, all around searching for her feeling. Lyra would find him, she walked around the area, following her senses. Will felt the air between his hands like sand, Lyra searched the air between her hands, Will would find her Lyra had to find him Lyra felt a rush of emotions as she stepped closer, Will felt the same. Step by step, they came closer until they reached each other. They stood, which would have been inside of each other. Lyra and Will stood in the same place, and felt each other. Lyra felt as if she was flying, such a rush of happiness came over her. Will couldn't help the confused feelings of bliss that overcame him like a river, quick and rushing, and hit you in an instant. They stood there and stood there, for at least and hour before they had to depart. "Goodbye Will." Lyra said sadly, and started back to camp. "Goodbye Lyra." Will said sadly, and started back to the house. Lyra would cherish that forever. A distant light could be seen from far off, and Lyra knew the witches had made a fire. Lyra loved the emotions that were still running through her, she skipped on the beach. A grin that would stay forever, that was the first time she had felt Will in his world while she was in hers. She knew she would be okay from now on, because he was safe and she was safe. And even if she never felt him again, it would be okay. She only needed to know he was alright. Lyra indulged in the sky around her, in the sand and stars and moon and trees and water. She sprinted as fast as she could and felt the wind at her back, her hair whipping behind her, and she stopped. "Wait." And with that she fell onto the ground the purposely, made a sand angel, and got up and laughed at her pathetic attempt. Happiness was flooding her, she didn't care about anything. "Kremanhalay," Lyra said as she neared the camp "Whatever you need me to do, I am willing." Kremanhalay looked a little surprised, then nodded. "Good, the last thing we need is a stubborn child. But now is not the time for planning, you must be tired, it is the time for sleep, the moon has risen and the sun has dipped." "Good night Kremanhalay." Lyra said and curled up in front of the fire. "Good night, Lyra." She smiled to herself, and got back to tending the fire. Lyra laid against the soft sand, and slipped into a world of dreams. 


	7. Capture

These words didn't surprise Lyra at all. Witches were very strong and clever.  
  
"Come on child, it has been a rough morning for you. Now, lets find out who this fellow is." But when she took a look at the man on the floor, her face turned white.  
  
"Oh no." "What is it?"  
  
She broke into sobs, and Lyra felt guilty for every tear shed. And it was then that the mans body disappeared, floating away in delicate clouds of vapor, then out the door.  
  
"What's the matter? Who was he? Did I do wrong?" "No! No! Child, it was not you. This is the man we came to see, he must have been working for Eleanore. Traitor, he was a traitor, he used me for all I had." "What do you mean he used you?" "Child, sit down, I have much to explain."  
  
She was still sobbing, her face scarlet and gleaming from the tears that were still flowing. Lyra sat down, willing to do anything to calm her.  
  
"Child, this man was a Yumarilien. It is a type person, you might say, that look how they feel. He looked like an old, ill-minded man, because that's how he felt. He was a double agent. He used me."  
  
"Used you?"  
  
"We." But the words wouldn't come out, she fell on the ground trembling from her overcoming emotions. When she had settled down a little, she sat down again.  
  
"W-we, we had a child together." Lyra was shocked.  
  
"You what?" But Naramalnia was on the ground again, unable to control herself. Amazingly, Kremanhalay was still sleeping. Lyra walked over to wake her up, but Naramalnia grabbed her leg.  
  
"Please, no, don't wake her. She has already heard enough from me about this." Lyra obeyed, reluctantly.  
  
"I know what you're thinking, and I am so sorry. I shouldn't have told you this."  
  
"Its fine, it seems like I can handle anything now a days."  
  
But it was at that moment that someone, or something, burst through the door and grabbed Lyra, dragged her into the hallway, and tied her up in a hurried manner. Lyra could hear screaming all around her, and she struggled and kicked and shouted and punched, but nothing helped. Everything was spinning, she was being thrown around so much. When she was let down on to the ground, she saw men in black suits, clown masks covering their faces.  
  
They took out a can, and sprayed all around Lyra. She tried holding her breath, but she could very well do it forever.  
  
Finally, she took in a deep breath desperately, and the world around her began to spin. Then, everything and everyone went black. 


	8. Sacrifice, again

Blackness was everywhere. No one to speak to, no one to cry to. Cold, cold ground lay beneath her.  
  
Distant screams of terror echoed throughout the room, piercing through the thick steel door. Lyra wanted to cry, but was too terrified. A blindfold was around her eyes, but she could tell through it that there was no light on in the room, or prison cell.  
  
She had woken up minutes ago, and the moment she stirred, Naramalnia and Kremanhalay came to her mind.  
  
The entire time she had been thinking, she was struggling out of the knots that imprisoned her.  
  
Lyra writhed about until her fingers where wet with sweat, or blood. Finally, she ripped herself free and cried out in pain as she felt her wounded hands. After resting her hands a bit and letting heal as much as possible, Lyra took off her blindfold.  
  
The room was pitch black. She curled up into a little ball and rocked back and forth.  
  
"Oh Pantalaimon." She missed him so much. But she didn't know if her missed her, or if he was even alive.  
  
No! That was too horrible to think of. Pantalaimon, dead?  
  
At that moment, though, the steel door opened, and light poured in. Lyra blinded her eyes, and after they had adjusted, she looked upon a huge man.  
  
"Lyra Belacqua, you are expected. Cherish that moment, because it is the last time your name will ever be spoken. Your have no name now. You have a number, and nothing else. You are now nobody. 47025, get up, you're coming with me."  
  
Lyra was afraid, but over her dead body would she show it. She got up, head held high, and walked to the door, looking the man straight in the eye fearlessly. He looked back boldly, but in his eyes was a flicker of surprise.  
  
"Follow me." He said suspiciously.  
  
He took her down a lit hallway. On all sides were other steel doors, and she heard screams of terror from some, and nothing from others. The floor was made of tile, and the place smelled of industry.  
  
They walked until they finally came to the end of hallway, an elevator.  
  
"Get in."  
  
Lyra obeyed, but screamed when the man shut the door quickly and the elevator began to move. There were no buttons on the walls, and she could see through the glass door all the floors passing rapidly.  
  
Lyra was frightened.  
  
Higher she went, shooting like a bullet without control.  
  
Until finally, the elevator slowed, and stopped. A guard opened the door, and grabbed her by the arm, wrenching her in front of a beautifully carved door.  
  
"Permission to enter." The guard spoke into a radio on the wall, and a lady like voice responded  
  
"Permission granted."  
  
The guard opened the door, and forced Lyra through. In front of her was a well-dressed, beautiful woman, sitting at a gorgeous desk. She was sitting in a great chair, covered in red velvet, then elaborately carved mahogany wood.  
  
The room had huge windows behind the woman, with darkness outside it, just black darkness.  
  
"Hello child. How are we?"  
  
"Fine, thank you."  
  
"Your number?" The woman looked at Lyra straight in the eye, and Lyra felt as if she could see straight through her.  
  
"47025."  
  
The woman looked at a sheet of paper, a wry smile starting at the ends of her lips.  
  
"I know who you are, you are the son of Lord Asriel. He died, with that fool Coulter. I knew him from his childhood. Oh, I heard about your little misfortune with your Will. Tsk tsk. Maybe he didn't love you, Eve..."  
  
Lyra practically lunged at the woman, she was steaming with anger. She would have broken her neck, if the guard hadn't grabbed her by the arms and punched her in the stomach first.  
  
"Treat the Lady Eleanore with respect!" He yelled at her through clenched teeth.  
  
Lyra was about to try to attack her again, but stopped, completely absorbed in thought and memory. Lady Eleanore?! This was Lady Eleanore? Lyra couldn't believe it.  
  
"I see your surprised at who I am. Well, I suppose my name has gotten around. Well, I am surprised at Asriel. To think he would teach you better manners, like how you should never try to kill your own aunt."  
  
Aunt? What was she talking about?  
  
Lady Eleanore laughed softly, "What? Did you think it was a coincidence that you and I look so alike? That I am only a year younger than Asriel? That I went to the same schools, that I lived on the same street, or, you might say, the same house? Dear Asi, I remember the night our parents were killed very well."  
  
She laughed insanely,  
  
Lyra didn't want to believe it. Her, related to this, this monster! Lyra wanted to kill her all the more, but the guards grabbed her and she was punched in the stomach once more.  
  
"Now, for what I called you up here for. Get over here."  
  
Lyra obeyed reluctantly, and Lady Eleanore bent over her desk.  
  
"I know what you want. You want your daemon, but even more, you want Will."  
  
Lyra just stood there, frozen. Oh no, please no.  
  
"Well, you can have him. We have arranged a little get together, you might say. See, there is a portal over there, and he is on the other side. Bring him in!"  
  
Lyra's heart was racing, she would see him again!! Will, oh Will, it would be wonderful, maybe Lady Eleanore isn't out to get her! Maybe she is trying to help her! But then, Lyra remembered everything that had just happened. Of all the things this woman was trying to do, it wasn't help. Why would she want Lyra to meet Will again? How would that benefit her? Lyra remembered something desperate just at the right moment then.  
  
"I am afraid not, Lyra. You made a sacrifice and a choice. If you open up a portal to Will's world and embrace him, so much as hear him, see him, you sacrifice everyone's chance for salvation. You change your choice and condemn us all."  
  
Quoralians' words made Lyra realize if she saw Will, everyone would never have a chance to have a heaven.  
  
"Here he comes!" Lady Eleanore said grandly.  
  
Lyra shut her eyes and started screaming.  
  
"WILL! START SCREAMING! WE CAN'T HEAR EACH OTHER OR SEE EACH OTHER! CLOSE YOUR EYES! HURRY!!!"  
  
Lyra ran to the door, swung it open, and ran out of the hallway into the elevator. She saw a panel outside the elevator that listed floors, she clicked the one that said "Ground Floor" and plunged inside. There were no guards in the hallway when she had run out, so no one had seen which floor she went on.  
  
The elevator plummeted to the ground below, and Lyra got out her razor she had packed in her rucksack. It was a good, long knife. The blade was about 12 inches long, the handle was 6 inches long.  
  
When the elevator had reached ground floor, Lyra took a quick look around. The ground looked chrome, and she was on the outside of a large building. She plunged behind a large box, and when she had gathered herself, Lyra redid her hair, and threw on a cloak she had packed that covered her face. Getting out from her hiding place, Lyra bent low so she appeared shorter than she really was.  
  
A man that walked slow and looked miserable passed her by.  
  
"E-(cough) excuse me my fine m-man. Where are w-we?" Lyra thought her fake old voice was pretty convincing.  
  
The man looked at her sadly, but a bit surprised.  
  
"The sillan." 


	9. To Kill An Angel

Lyra was dumbstruck. This was the sillan? She looked all around her.  
  
The ground shined with brilliance as, as what shone on it? Lyra looked up at the sky, careful to keep her hood on. She stared in astonishment.  
  
It was as if the entire sky was the northern lights! It was brighter though, and the color was defused into a light blue, but it was constantly moving and changing. It was bright enough to be mistaken for a summer sky, but you could distinctly see the movement and different colors.  
  
The man looked at Lyra,  
  
"What, have you never looked up? Or are you new? You must be. Well, just to get on good terms, my formal name is Sir Richardson. You may address me as this."  
  
Lyra merely nodded her head. She was so overwhelmed with where she was, all around her was pain and horror. When she finally looked down, upon the horizon, Lyra could see a second building.  
  
She waved to the man and said a "thank you" in her fake cackled voice. She began hobbling toward the building, uncertain about it, but decided it must be better than here. But the man grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"You don't want to do that! Believe me, I have tried. No man nor woman can get passed that wall. See that glistening disturbance in the air, it is barely visible. It's the wall that ensures no one leaves. Your daemon will be killed if you go through there. Look on my upper left ear. You see that metal earring? Since your daemon and you have a connection, it uses that little energy the connection produces and makes it tremendous, and your daemon will be killed with the first step you take outside the barrier. You have one also. I have seen many men die this way. Don't do it, please, I couldn't bare another loss."  
  
Lyra shook off his hand from her arm. She had already planned out what she was going to do.  
  
"Child, I h-have lived longer than you know. I am a v-very old witch, it is m-my time to go. No more sorrow. I-if I do make it through, I am headed for that b-building. Wish me luck, child."  
  
Sir Richardson looked sad and doubtful, but respected Lyra. Lyra hobbled toward the wall, and got ready to walk through.  
  
A few guards of the sillan laughed at her, then went back to their rounds, no one watched.  
  
Lyra burst through the wall, and saw the building was a lot closer than what had appeared from the sillan. She looked back at the sillan, and it appeared far away! Lyra was confused at this, but merely started walking the 300 to 500 yards to the building.  
  
The road there wasn't chrome, in fact, the land outside the sillan was like a desert. Endless plains of dirt and dust surrounded her. Lyra looked at her watch, to see if anything was different about it.  
  
When she had, the needles were turning randomly, pointing one way, pointing the other, violently swinging from side to side at a quickened pace. It looks like this place was timeless also.  
  
Lyra took off the heavy cloak that concealed her, and stuffed it in her rucksack. But as she did, she accidentally put her fingers in her secret compartment, it must have been unzipped. She felt the icy gold of the alethiometer, and smiled to herself as she pulled it out.  
  
Running her hands over the intricate designs, the beautiful crystal, and heavy gold. She felt a faint familiar sensation, resembling that of when she could read the instrument without books, or even memory, just feeling.  
  
For some reason, the thought of Lyra's father popped into her head. Someone that should be worrying about her now. Or even her mother. One that did care, but sacrificed it for a universe. Lyra didn't cry. She didn't weep any more about them, they did it on their own free will. And it was best they did. It was best that her mother and father sacrificed their lives to kill an angel.  
  
To kill an angel.  
  
Lyra laughed at herself and how ridiculous that sounded, but she knew the seriousness behind the matter, she wasn't ignorant.  
  
'On the road again,' She thought. Wasn't it only a week or so ago that she was happy to be on such a journey? Look where she ended up, in a timeless desert, alone.  
  
Lyra played soccer with the pebbles on the ground. Yes, she was on the road again, she was on her way again, she was on a road to change. For bad or for good? Who knows. She didn't care really, as long as it was away from that horrifying place. She felt a little difficult for leaving that man behind, but what could she do?  
  
"Yes, what could the great Lyra, Eve, do about a poor man?" Lyra looked up, alarmed.  
  
And who stood in front of her? Actually, who sat in front of her?  
  
Pantalaimon, and Lyra could tell, he was smiling. 


	10. Nightingale

Lyra felt tears well up in her eyes, and brushed them away quickly, but knew she was scarlet red. Pantalaimon. Pantalaimon, oh it was Pantalaimon!! She screamed his name in all her joy. Her dear, dear Pantalaimon! He was alive, she just couldn't believe her eyes!  
  
He lept up into her arms, and crawled and felt all over her. She loved the feeling of his warm body against hers, they were one again! She hugged him so hard he might of suffocated. Pantalaimon licked her face softly, and settled in her lap.  
  
Lyra didn't know how long she sat there, just stroking his fur, loving and cherishing him. She was happier than she had ever been before, excluding the time of course when she was reunited with him a first time.  
  
Pantalaimon finally crawled off her lap, and they began toward the building. Sharing their stories and swapping opinions, it was bliss.  
  
Lyra stopped. Wait, what was it she was meant to learn here again?  
  
The alethiometer!  
  
Pantalaimon knew what she was thinking, (of course) and stopped.  
  
"If you are to relearn how to read the alethiometer, better start now. You don't know if it is timeless in that building."  
  
Lyra agreed, and sat down. She pulled out the alethiometer and the book. She began a long, long time of studying.  
  
* * *  
  
Lyra had fallen asleep on the books she was reading almost forty times by now, which most likely meant she had been studying for at least forty days. And she had only learned all of the meanings for two symbols! She was beginning to think it was an impossible task. She kept on going though. Her, Eve, held the only alethiometer left, many would need her, especially if she could read the instrument.  
  
So Lyra toiled onward, learning more and more symbols, earning knowledge beyond comprehension. She lost track of times she fell asleep on her books, and it seemed her entire world revolved around relearning how to read the alethiometer.  
  
The strange part was, Lyra never got hungry, or needed to do anything like you do in regular old life, except sleep. She suspected that the time difference had an effect on whether she got hungry, or anything else, because that was how she was when she entered the sillan.  
  
She knew she needed to sleep though, because she was moving, and that cost energy. It was a strange world to her, and would be to anyone.  
  
An extensive time later, she had learned almost all the symbols, except for one. It wasn't listed in the book. In fact, Lyra never remembered seeing it on the alethiometer before. It was a nightingale in flight, wings spread wide, and in its mouth it carried a lily.  
  
Lyra knew she had all the time in the universe, literally. And so she took her time, practicing with her new skills, until she mastered them. The nightingale confused her, and she left it as it was.  
  
Every time she snuggled up to sleep, Pantalaimon would curl up next to her. They were happy again. 


	11. Entertainment

The road to the building wasn't as long as it seemed. In fact, Lyra and Pantalaimon found themselves staring up at the great building only a bit of time later.  
  
It was a grand building, gargantuan Roman pillars of marble were all around the entrance, some as wide as a cars circumference! And the top and bottom of them were covered in brilliant gold. The building seemed bigger than a castle, and was completely made of marble. All around the building was vegetation and gardens. The gardens were filled with flowers and lilies and tulips and cherry trees, (and they were still blossoming!) so many more flowers and trees Lyra couldn't name them all! There were emerald green hedge mazes, and a full pond, about the size of the building itself, with swans and ducks bathing in it. Lyra could have sworn the building was 500 feet tall.  
  
She was stunned by the sheer wonder and magical atmosphere that floated about blissfully in this place. So much different from the sillan!  
  
She walked up to the carefully carved mahogany door, and walked in.  
  
Inside the building was a marble floor, comfortable leather chairs, and a front desk. At the front desk stood a woman with brown hair pulled back in a tight bun, she was wearing glasses.  
  
There were other people in the building also, some walking through doors, others going through a large opening leading to another room with carpet and plates clinking. Lyra hadn't realized how hungry she was, time must flow here.  
  
She looked at her watch, yup, the arms were turning normally now. Lyra approached the front desk.  
  
The lady looked up at her and smiled.  
  
"You must be a relative of Lady Eleanore. Have you heard about that escape of that girl? They presume she is dead, I can't believe another person tried to escape. Oh! Are you hungry? We have a feast going on in the dining room. You'll have your own personal table, of course. Please, right this way."  
  
The woman led her through the opening and into a large room, with a darkly colored carpet, white walls, and a gold ceiling. One wall was completely made of windows.  
  
Lyra looked around a little more until she saw a table.  
  
It was a huge feast! Oh, there was turkey glistening in gravy, mashed potatoes, fresh, hot steaming muffins, succulent yams, peas, roasted carrots, mouth-watering rabbit, fresh fruit, crunchy salad, and so much more! Lyra hadn't even taken a look at the desert table, and there was so much of everything!  
  
The woman led Lyra to her own personal little table by the window and gave her a plate. Lyra jumped up and took a ton of everything, and ate and ate and ate.  
  
After devouring practically all of the buffet table, (and getting a few strange looks,) the front desk lady led her to her own room. When Lyra got there, she almost squealed in delight.  
  
There, all for her, was her own room with a king sized bed, bathroom, kitchen, and living area! Everything was as nicely decorated as the lobby area was, except it was hers. All of it was just Lyras' and Pantalaimons'.  
* * *  
  
Lyra couldn't count how many days she just slept and ate and played with Pantalaimon. This was truly heaven! She thought one day. Pantalaimon repeated her thoughts.  
  
"Truly heaven." He whispered. Lyra smiled, she had nothing to worry about.  
  
"Ma'am, would you care to go downstairs to the entertainment area? There is a special show going on." A maid opened the door politely.  
  
"Alright, that sounds like fun." Lyra said, and jumped up from her bed.  
  
The maid led her to an auditorium, were she gave Lyra a seat in her own first class room on the wall, no windows, and very comfy chairs. It was perfect, because she was high up and no heads were in your way, you had the best viewpoint in the whole auditorium, too.  
  
After the entire auditorium was filled to the brim, the lights dimmed. Lyra was so excited, she hugged Pantalaimon tightly and waited for the entertainer. Everyone sat down, and there was a murmur crawling over the crowd, whether it was from excitement or bore dome, Lyra couldn't tell.  
  
Big booming music began to play as a man in flamboyant clothing burst through the curtains, he laughed and welcomed us all.  
  
"Welcome! Welcome! My good people, prepare yourselves for a show tonight! My tricks and traps will fool and make you laugh, but tonight we have a special finale! Ah, but no more I will tell you, for now, let us start the show." He said menacingly, Lyra suspected that was the way he was paid to act on the stage, and didn't pay the mans attitude much heed.  
  
He pulled rabbits from hats, and made woman in flashy clothing disappear, he made one person from the audience levitate.  
  
One thing that Lyra didn't like though, was they took out a bear and tortured it. The audience laughed, but all Lyra saw was an Iorek Byrnison who couldn't talk. She closed her eyes through the whole thing.  
  
"My good people, you have been patient with my tricks and now, the finale!!" Lyra was overwhelmed with excitement, and sat on the edge of her seat, she could see the mans expression clearly, he was preparing something grand for sure.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you two prisoners of the sillan. Yes, yes, that horrid place. Well, these woman are witches, perhaps they deserve to die! What do you think my fine people?" Everyone laughed and began hooting, or screaming "Kill 'em!" and "Yes!"  
  
Lyra was horrified.  
  
"Then it is decided! Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you Kremanhalay and Naramalnia!!"  
  
No.  
  
A black box appeared, and opened, and there stood Kremanhalay and Naramalnia. They were in chains, and barely wearing anything. They held their heads high still.  
  
"Oh, you guys..." Lyra whispered. She had been living like a queen and they were being treated like animals! She hadn't even given them a second thought, their daemons were brought out in chains also, miserable, but proud.  
  
"So my fine woman, how are we?" He lashed them with a whip.  
  
One strike, Lyra flinched.  
  
Naramalnia looked at him with hate, and Kremanhalay shot her glance that told her to relax, Lyra could tell it was harder than it looked.  
  
"Oh, you want to hit me with your broomstick now, don't you? To bad it's not with you." He smiled viciously and struck both of them across the face, they began to bleed badly.  
  
Two strikes, Lyra clenched her fist.  
  
"What a pair you two, ohh, its to bad your going to die." Rising his whip, he struck the two of them on their backs, and Naramalnia screamed. The audience was howling with laughter. Three strikes, Lyra leaned forward  
  
Everyone laughed, which only encouraged the man. "You two are nothing more than dirt! Scum of the earth, ones who don't know anything more than an herb or a plant. Stupid animals, you belong in the zoo!" Kremanhalay was furious. Lyra had never seen her lose her temper, but she knew that calling a witch an animal was a direct attack on her clan and who she was. It was like condemning yourself to death.  
  
Kremanhalay attacked so hard one of her chains broke, but still she was not free. He slapped her across the face, then kissed her, saying that she was no more than a sex toy.  
  
Lyra got up, grabbing a nearby rope.  
  
Naramalnia screamed in anger, and he walked up to her wolf daemon, and whipped it in the leg. Selnihayer fell to the ground, howling in pain, and so did Naramalnia.  
  
Lyra got on the stood on the edge of the balcony.  
  
The audience laughed hysterically, but Lyras anger was so great she couldn't control herself. She ripped out her knife from her rucksack, but as she was searching, she felt a sharp pinch on her finger. Lyra opened it completely, and she saw something that would effect her deeply.  
  
A shard to the subtle knife.  
  
She had no clue on how it got there, but ripped it out. It was a huge shard, about 4 inches long. Seeing its familiar gleam, she wielded it.  
  
"Will, if I die, you know I always love you, I will be with you."  
  
She grabbed onto the rope and swung down from the balcony, not sure if she would fall, but didn't care. When she got close enough, she lunged at the man.  
  
She stabbed him.  
  
Once..  
  
Twice..  
  
Three times. He screamed in agony. People charged at her, trying to kill her!  
  
She jumped to Kremanhalay and cut the chains, then to Naramalnia! They were free, and Kremanhalay urged them to run. Naramalnia couldn't though, her leg was injured! The audience and guards had practically surrounded them, and Lyra slashed at anyone who threatened to touch her and Naramalnia.  
  
So far she had killed 13 people.  
  
Naramalnia screamed.  
  
Lyra looked everyway, but couldn't find her. Where had she gotten off to?!  
  
"Lyra, look out!" Lyra spun around, and a man with a chair was about to bash her over the head. She threw herself to the side, and screamed as another person tried to shoot her with a gun. She ran into the sea of people where she knew she was safe against the gun at least.  
  
Naramalnia! The people had her, she was conscious, and Lyra lunged at them. Someone grabbed Lyra by the foot, and she screamed as she heard the gunshot that would shatter her life.  
  
Naramalnias' eyes grew wide for a moment, but then a glaze came over them as ruby blood streamed from her forehead.  
  
Lyra couldn't believe, she wouldn't!! Naramalnia, Naramalnia!  
  
She remembered the morning she told Lyra her deep secrets, the fires and talks they shared meals over, her encouragement and advice.  
  
Gone.  
  
Just gone, like that.  
  
Lyra jumped up to her body, but she was dead. Lyra felt something rise in her, something she never thought could go so high as to that. A friend was taken from her.  
  
She looked around at the crowd, a crazed look in her eyes. Everyone around her froze, paralyzed by her imminent feelings to kill. She jumped up and hurtled at everyone in sight, killing them in the most painful way possible.  
  
She didn't care how many people fell, she didn't care how many people were hurt, because hers was unending.  
  
She would slay every last one of them till the entire auditorium was red!  
  
Kremanhalay looked at Lyra in horror. She was out of control, but then, she to saw Naramalnia, and wept until she couldn't weep any more. She was to lost in her emotions to do anything about Lyra.  
  
And so Lyra rampaged on, until the auditorium was red. 


	12. Yes

Kremanhalay sat on the ground, nuzzling Naramalnias' head. Lyra sat in a chair in the auditorium, crying quietly to herself.  
  
If you had walked into the auditorium, you wouldn't have found much besides blood, everything else was broken or destroyed.  
  
Lyra had killed everyone, absolutely everyone.  
  
The front desk lady, the maids, the residents, the magician, all with that little shard of the subtle knife.  
  
That little shard of Will.  
  
Lyra cursed herself for thinking of such things, she knew that he was gone, and the focus of energy right now should be on Naramalnia. But no! She was too selfish, always thinking of Will. Lyra hated herself for loving him and becoming such good friends with Naramalnia.  
  
"Naramalnia." She said through quiet sobs, she felt so horrible.  
  
Kremanhalay (reluctantly) finally got up and shook Lyra, "Its time to get a move on."  
  
Lyra didn't respond.  
  
"Child, we must leave this place, it is filled with angry spirits." Kremanhalay shook Lyra harder.  
  
Still, Lyra didn't respond.  
  
Kremanhalay grabbed Pantalaimon and Lyra gasped.  
  
"Time to go." Kremanhalay said flatly.  
  
"How could you be so insensitive? Your best friend was just murdered! She is dead now, gone! No more late night talks with her, no more sharing your food over an open fire with her, no more being able to hug her when you are down, no more nothing! You're horrible!! I hate you! I HATE YOU!!!" Lyra screamed, and ran out of the auditorium, and ripped out the alethiometer in the garden outside.  
  
"Why did Naramalnia die?"  
  
"Some questions I cannot even answer."  
  
Lyra screamed and threw the alethiometer into a bush. Five minutes later though she went back and got it.  
  
"This one I haven't been able to ask. How is Will?"  
  
"Horrible."  
  
Lyra turned white.  
  
"What do you mean, horrible?"  
  
"He misses you deeply, and would have done anything to set eyes on you in the sillan. But he obeyed you, he is sad and upset."  
  
Lyra thought a moment, then asked, extremely nervous,  
  
"Do they have him captive in the sillan?"  
  
".Yes." 


	13. Consequences

Will felt cold. It was cold, so maybe that was an explanation. Kerjava scratched the huge steel door that separated Will and her from the world outside, it was horrible here.  
  
The little lamp above his head flickered its gold, puny excuse for light. It swung with the building in a rhythmic pattern.  
  
Come to think about it, Will just realized the building was swaying.  
  
Faster and faster it shook, until Will and Kerjava felt as if the world was crumbling to dust.  
  
He cried out in fear and tried to clutch the walls, but there was nothing to grab onto! Will couldn't fathom what could possibly be causing this, an earthquake perhaps, but whatever it was, it was deadly strong.  
  
The building began to shake even more violently than before, Will huddled into a corner, and clutched onto Kerjava for dear, dear life.  
  
Cracks splintered across the cement floors like lightning in the sky. The walls around him of strong steel twisted and creaked in agony.  
  
"KERJAVA! WHATS HAPPENING?!" He screamed over the horrible sounds of the building, winding and groaning with no end. Yelling seemed to calm his nerves a little, yet he still had enough adrenaline to break through a thousand walls of diamond.  
  
Will realized the chance he had gained through this, and would vanish if he did not move quickly.  
  
The lights above him flickered, but amazingly stayed on, it didn't change the fact that this was like a nightmare.  
  
He got up, and ran as best he could across the crumbling ground beneath him. Will took a step to the side, and the cement seemed as if to disintegrate beneath him.  
  
Slipping and coming so close to the dark under him, he scrambled up as quickly as he could, fighting for his life.  
  
"Where to go, where to go?!" Kept screaming in his mind, all there was was crumbling floors and twisting walls! Oh why hadn't they built a window in?  
  
Will found a good strong place to sit for a bit on one of the walls that had been roughed up so much (and still was being) the bottom jutted straight out and curved near the top, like a bowl. Will sat and regained his nerves, even through all the shaking.  
  
He thought he could hear a faint laughing, it was maniacal, but at the same time, song like. This confused Will, for not even he understood his own thoughts with that.  
  
Abruptly, the shaking stopped, and the laughing became much more distinct for a few seconds, then suddenly stopped also.  
  
To Wills shock and horror, the walls and ground around him began to move on their own. They twisting and crumbled back to place, just as they were before!  
  
A ray of blue light shot across the ground and walls, and the twist marks and cracks disappeared in an instant. Will was more in shock than he was confusion.  
  
He didn't care though, everything was the same, everything was normal again, and he was alive. He had held on to it all, the world he held dear.  
  
Will knew well how close he had come to death, and decided to live life to its fullest, well, with what he had in this prison. He was fascinated with how the little light hadn't fallen, it was so weak, but it refused to fall like the steel and cement walls around it.  
  
The guards retook their positions, and Will couldn't help but ask what had happened. He put his mouth to the little opening in the door, where the faintest bit of light came in. Not all rooms had these, he was lucky.  
  
"Sir, what was that? An earthquake?"  
  
He turned around, and revealed to Will a huge, burly man, with a bit of stubble, and a massive gleaming gun at his side.  
  
"The authority has arrived, ignorant one. Keep your manners! Or death will clutch you at his first sight of you. The authority knows all, and he kills those he does not like."  
  
How could the authority know all? Will knew everyone made him out to be more than he was, but Will did know that he could kill him in an instant. Perhaps his angels work as spies.  
  
But the building, it felt as if it would crumble to the ground as nothing more than dust. Maybe he is that powerful.  
  
No! They had a chance, they will make it! Will didn't know how that argument was ever to stand, but it still gave him a little ray of hope.  
  
"Was the quake caused by his footsteps?" Will asked fearfully.  
  
A surprised look came over the guards face, and he began to laugh hysterically. Tears of mirth rolled down his cheeks, and his howling could be heard on the other side of the building.  
  
Will was surprised with this, and a little offended, but waited patiently for the man to answer.  
  
The guard finally calmed down, wiping tears from his cheeks.  
  
"You are a very stupid child. The authority does not have a body. How can he step?"  
  
"Then what cause the quake?"  
  
"He is the authority stupid child! He can do as he pleases with what he pleases! He was showing off some of his power. Now, though, he is headed toward the Accomidence. That is where only the highest in ranking stay, and not even I have been able to set foot in there."  
  
"How do you get there?"  
  
"It is a building outside the sillan. Don't even try to escape though, you'll die."  
  
"Has anyone ever made it through?"  
  
"One. They suspect she is dead now though. The searches were given up, there is no food out there, and she would have been killed in the Accomidence."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"A girl named Lyra."  
  
* * *  
  
Lyra sat on the ground now, practically giving up.  
  
"Bummm Bummm Bummm." Lyra heard distant drumbeats, and looked toward the sillan.  
  
"Bummm Bummm Bummm." It was faint. Lyra strained her eyes to see what was making the sound.  
  
"Bummm Bummm Bummm." Lyra saw a few dots on the horizon, people, and, oh no.  
  
Angels.  
  
Lyra gasped in horror, they were headed this way! And what would they find when they arrived?  
  
A massacre.  
  
She had to get out of here, her and Kremanhalay, now.  
  
"Kremanhalay, we have to go, NOW." She whispered, pointing on the horizon.  
  
Kremanhalay looked, and dove for her cloud pine branch and Lyra hopped on it. Kremanhalay sat behind her, smallest first for best amount of speed. Lyra snatched up everything she had set on the ground quickly and stuffed them in her rucksack.  
  
The sun beamed down on them, and Kremanhalay jumped into the air, zooming as far away from here as she could.  
  
They went straight, there was nothing to hide behind!  
  
"Kremanhalay, can't you cut a portal?!" Lyra screamed over the howling winds.  
  
"Child! Don't you remember, who closed the portal when we escaped the zeppelins? I was never taught those skills!!" Kremanhalay had a grave look on her face.  
  
Lyra though back hard, and it came to her.  
  
The witches and Lyra landed, then the other witch got off her broomstick quickly and whispered a few words, then went into the same type of trance that Lyra remembered Will going into when he closed and opened a portal. She then used her fingers to close the portal. Walking over to Lyra, she explained.  
  
"Lyra Silvertongue, I am Naramalnia."  
OKAY!!! This is not part of the story, just wanted to say hi to you people that have been following. Thanks a ton! Oh yeah, you to hannirose, you have been really encouraging, thank you so much! Weeee!!! Dramatic part!! Alright, anywho, I hope all that have read this have enjoyed at least a little bit of it. Adios!  
  
This story does not belong to me, it is by Phillip Pullman copywrite date: 1995 introduction copywrite date:1997 by Terry Brooks 


End file.
